Purple Heart
by GreenPicklesLoveYou
Summary: Levi joined the Army after his mom got sick to makeup for being a thug, who only caused trouble. Three years in, Levi is stuck at some shitty base in the heart of Louisiana and he never expected much to come out of it. Let alone his life being invaded by some brat with two different colored eyes. (Modern Military AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note:  
**

Hello~

So, this is going to be my second multichapter fic for Ereri/Riren/whatever you want to call it. I'm really hoping everyone likes it as much as my other one. ^^

So to start off, I'm going to give you a key for some of the acronyms that you'll come across in this chapter.

PT - Physical Training (Just in case someone doesn't know that already)  
ACU - Army Combat Uniform  
MEDDAC - Medical Department Activity (Basically Army hosipitals' company, each base has a hospital so every soldier working for their respective hospital is part of MEDDAC, that doesn't mean they will always be a part of MEDDAC though. They switch company's depending on where they get stationed and where the Army needs them.)  
NCO - Non-commissioned Officer (Usually soldiers call their squad leaders this, it usually refers to Sergeants)  
PC - patrol cap  
PX - Post Exchange (basically the post's shopping center)  
AWOL - Absent Without Leave (it means a soldier left their duty station without permission)

Now that that's all out of the way. I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter.

Edit: Crap, I totally forgot to put a warning on here, so everyone who has already read it, I AM SO SO SORRY. But yeah, there are manga spoilers, specifically Levi's last name. If you're caught up, then you're good to go. That's really going to be the only spoilers in this, but if you aren't caught up, it'll confuse the hell out of you.

* * *

_There's a saying that if you run into someone three times in a day, it's destiny._

Levi stretched out within the confines of his blanket, trying to remain in the pocket of warmth for as long as possible. It didn't help that the barracks were unnaturally cold to compensate for the heat outside and as soon as he moved an inch from his blanket he was shivering down to the bone. The only reason he was even awake at this moment was his phone's annoying attempt to remind him that it was indeed four thirty in the morning.

With one last stretch and a loud groan, he sat up in his bed and looked around for his phone. He must have tossed and turned last night, because he remembered setting it beside his pillow before passing out yet it wasn't there. Levi mentally kicked himself for letting Hange convince him to stay up to watch some movie about fate and the supernatural. It messed with his sleeping pattern and probably gave him some weird ass dreams that he was glad he couldn't remember.

_Where is my fucking phone?_

Levi snatched up his blanket and proceeded to cuss out loud as said device whipped up and clocked him in the forehead.

"Holy shit, are you fucking kidding me? God damn piece of shit!"

Levi rubbed at the sore spot with one hand as he picked up his phone with the other and swiped his thumb across the screen to turn off the alarm. He tossed it to the side in annoyance and didn't bother watching where it landed as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. His feet touched the ground and he cringed at how cold the tile was against his skin. There wasn't much he could do about it though, because he couldn't afford to be late. So he stood up and went straight to his dresser, opening a drawer to reveal all of his PT clothes. He reached in and grabbed a neatly folded grey shirt with the words "ARMY" across the front in big black letters. Then black nylon shorts with "ARMY" in white on the left leg and a pair of white socks. Levi hurriedly stripped out of the clothes he wore to bed and slipped on the shirt, shorts, and socks. He tucked the shirt into his shorts and grabbed the yellow reflective belt from the top of his dresser to put around his waist.

Levi wasted no time slipping on his shoes and grabbing his keys and phone. He stopped to check his appearance in the mirror, straightening out a few stray hairs, before stepping out of his room into the hallway. He wasn't the only one dressed in the same attire and rushing to get to where they needed to be. It was a small reassurance. He hurriedly took the stairs down to the front of the building and exited through the main door.

The air outside was warm with a slight humidity to it, where the moisture seemed to stick to his skin. Levi wasn't going to lie that he didn't find it slightly annoying and gross, but there wasn't much a person could do when they're in the south close to the gulf. So instead of standing there bitching about it, he made his way to the parking lot.

He pressed the unlock button on his keys and watched his car's lights flash as he walked over. It was a 2014 Dodge Challenger with a granite gray coat and he was not ashamed to call it his baby. Especially because it cost him a pretty penny. Levi opened the door and slid into the driver's seat, putting the key in to start it up. Levi didn't really have the time to sit there and admire the car's purr, like he usually did, so he backed out of his parking spot and tried his best not to hit other soldiers as he made his way out of the parking lot.

The drive to the field was quiet, probably because it was five in the morning and virtually no one else was up unless they were going to PT. For some reason the Army hospital saw it fit to have its soldiers go to PT earlier than some of the other companies. Luckily today it was just a company run and then he could go back to his barracks, get a hot shower, and maybe catch two hours of sleep before he had to head into work.

Levi pulled up to the field where the track started and parked in the next available spot, making sure to give his car enough room so no one had a chance to scratch it up. _I dare someone to fuck up and scratch this car. There's plenty of swamps around here to hide a body. _

"Le-vi!"

Levi tensed and cursed quietly before turning around to face the source of the noise. Hange was pretty tall, though maybe Levi just felt that way because he was abnormally short, and always had her long, brown hair up in a messy ponytail. The only time her hair was tamed was while in uniform and even then it always ended up a mess by the end of the day. She was also one of Levi's closest friends, who he has known since high school. _How in the hell we both ended up at the same duty station is fucking beyond me._

Levi grunted in acknowledgement and turned back around to close and lock his door. _A person could never be too careful, even on a fucking military base. _When he was sure the doors were locked, he faced Hange once again and walked past her to the middle of the field where other soldiers in the company were gathered.

"Is someone grumpy this morning? Cheer up, Levi! We're going on a run, it's your favorite thing to do." Hange sounded way too cheerful for this time of day and Levi could only glare at her.

"Fuck off, shitty four-eyes. You kept me up too late last night."

Levi rolled his eyes as Hange cackled loudly, no doubt drawing looks from some of the soldiers who haven't had the benefit of meeting her yet. Levi stood around with everyone else, listening to Hange babble, before they were all called to start their run. Luckily it wasn't as humid as it had been for the past couple of weeks, so Levi relished the burn in his legs and lungs as he pushed himself. He had always been one of the fastest in the company and that wasn't him being conceited. A lot of people joked about him cheating, because he was one of the shortest, but he could care less what other people said. He had the proof to back it up and proved it every time when he was head to head with Commander Pixis during a company run.

Once the run was over, Levi was covered in sweat, the back of his shirt sticking to his skin and grossing him out. This was the only downside of running, especially in this humid environment. He tried his hardest not to fidget as they were called into formation for a safety briefing, which was the same old, same old. Don't do this, don't do that, make sure you do this, and safety first. A bunch of shit that Levi otherwise ignored. Once they were dismissed, Levi hurried off to his car before Hange could call out to him and hold him from his shower any longer.

The drive back to his barracks was slightly busier. People were either going to PT or going back to their respective living quarters from PT. Of course there were the few civilians going to their jobs on and off post, but as it was only six in the morning it wasn't as bad as it could be. Levi pulled into the parking lot of his barracks and quickly got of his car making sure to lock it before running up to his room. He stripped off the offending clothes, grabbed a towel and headed to the shower to scrub off the sweat and moisture from the air that stuck to his skin.

Soldiers were trained to shower within five minutes, because when they're in a hostile environment five minutes might be all you have. However, Levi thought that was a load of shit. He took his time massaging his shampoo into his scalp, running his fingers through the sparse amount of hair on his head. It made him miss his undercut, but because it wasn't appropriate according to Army regulation, he had to go with a high and tight haircut. It certainly made his hair easier to clean, but it still wasn't the haircut he'd worn for years. _Oh fucking well, this is the life I chose. _

He rinsed off the shampoo and went straight to scrubbing down his body. He ran a washcloth along every inch, over tattoos and scars, until he was satisfied with the result. Levi washed off the suds and stepped out of the shower reluctantly, wrapping his towel around his waist. He tried not to shiver as he walked over to his dresser to grab a tan shirt and boxers. Levi had a good hour or so before he had to get to work, so he decided to just take a cat nap to hopefully get rid of some of this lingering fatigue.

Levi almost made the same mistake as this morning when he was startled awake by the loud noise of his phone's alarm. Luckily he hadn't tossed and turned like he did last night and his phone was still lying next to him. After turning the alarm off, Levi got out of bed and went to his closet to grab his ACU jacket and pants. This was probably the least favorite part of his daily routine, but it couldn't be helped. It was almost a mindless task by now, but it was still tedious. Levi pulled on his army green socks, then his pants and tucked in his shirt before fastening the belt. Next was his combat boots, which he slipped on, tightened and tied the laces before tucking them in the sides of the boots. Levi could admit one thing as he quietly slipped on his ACU jacket that was decorated with his last name, rank, and unit. He wasn't narcissistic, but he could acknowledge the fact that he looked good in uniform.

It didn't take him long before he was on the road to his work. Even though he was part of MEDDAC, his building was separate from the hospital. Actually, it was about fifteen to twenty minutes away from the hospital and was affectionately named the Red Roof Inn, due to its red roof. They did a variety of tests, such as hearing and STD, as well as health information briefings. His job was a bit different, though. Levi's job was basically equivalent to the civilian job of a health inspector. He went around post and inspected the food court, the multiple places that served food on post, and containers, called Buffalos, that held water to be transported to soldiers that were overseas. During the summer, they routinely caught mosquitos and bled chickens to check for the West Nile Virus. Sometimes he would be called to do short classes on sanitation and food service, usually for units or family readiness groups that are considering selling food and drinks to raise money.

When Levi finally got to the clinic, he hurriedly got out and ran inside. He returned the greetings from the receptionists as he walked past and hurried to his office in the back to grab a few forms so he could go do his monthly inspections. Levi was hurrying to avoid his NCO, because the guy was weird and a friend of friend who had wormed himself into Levi's friends. At last, to no avail, a sniffing noise could be heard on the right side of Levi and made him turn around to acknowledge his squad leader.

"Hello, Sergeant. I see you're as weird as ever."

The tall blond in front of him laughed and patted Levi on the shoulder with a heavy hand, "And I see you're as grumpy as ever, Ackerman."

Levi rolled his eyes and turned back to his papers that needed to be organized before he could head out. "So, what is it that I could do for you, sir?"

Mike, or Sergeant Zacharius while they were working, was a good guy. He had this weird habit of sniffing people that creeped the fuck out of Levi, especially when the guy would sneak up on him and do it. Other than that, he was a good squad leader and helped Levi out where he could, seeing as Levi was the only soldier under him at the moment.

"I need you to go inspect Patriot Inn. Erwin mentioned that it needed to be inspected, something about the eggs making him sick. Is that okay?"

Levi sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck in frustration. _Leave it to Erwin to pull this shit when I have a million other things to do. _"Yeah, I'll go do that right now. Afterwards, I'll be inspecting Blimpie, Hickory, and the Hut. I also need to go refill the liquid nitrogen for Brad."

Another heavy pat on his shoulder, a quick thanks, and Mike was off to do his own duties. Levi finished getting his clipboard together with all the necessary papers and made his way back to his car. _God, I hope today doesn't turn into complete shit. It's Friday, please let me start the weekend on a good note._

Levi climbed into his car as his phone rang with an annoying ringtone that belonged to only one maniac. "God damnit, Hange."

He answered the phone with a growl, "What, Hange? I'm busy so make it quick."

"Levi! Someone still sounds grumpy. So, I was thinking that you can join me and Erwin, along with a couple of our other friends, at Paradise tonight! So, what do you say? Hm?"

Levi groaned and slammed the back of his head against the headrest. _Already today. Why does the universe hate me?_

He heard Hange's concern over the phone, "Levi, are you okay? What was that noise?"

Levi sighed for what seemed like the millionth time today and it wasn't even nine o'clock. "It was just me trying to beat myself to death to avoid life's responsibilities. Obviously, it didn't work, so I will see about going out tonight. It really depends on how shitty today is going to be."

Hange's laugh was just as piercing over the phone as it was in person and made Levi wince while he pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Okay, Levi. We'll pick you up later!"

"Oi, shitty glasses, I didn't say I was-"

Hange had hung up before Levi could even finish his sentence and Levi knew that if he didn't go of his own free will, Hange would come and drag him out. There was no point in arguing with the brunette when she was determined to make something happen. So Levi resigned himself to a night of being surrounded by drunk soldiers and inevitable contact with filthy people, which was enough to make him want to drink.

Eventually, Levi found himself parked in the parking lot of the Patriot Inn, which was the 10th Mountain's cafeteria. He grabbed his clipboard and his ACU cap before locking his car. He slipped the cap onto his head before he made his way for the front door. _Why the fuck do I have to wear this cap when I'm literally going to have to take it off in less than 20 seconds? Who made up these rules, holy fuck._

Levi was so caught up in his thoughts that when he reached for the door handle to go inside and taking off his cap with his other hand which was holding his clipboard, he didn't realize someone else was already pushing the door open from the inside. The impact made Levi drop his clipboard, cap, and grab his forehead.

"HOLY FUCK. Are you fucking serious?!" Levi hissed as he felt the throbbing pain in his forehead where it had met the door. _Twice today. Fucking twice today in the same fucking spot. I swear to god, I don't fucking care what rank this asshole is. _"Are you fucking stupid, asshole?"

Levi finally looked at the person at the other end of his verbal attack and let the cussing fade away. A boy, at least he looked like a boy, was standing there like a deer caught in the headlights, his mismatched eyes wide with shock. He was absolutely mortified and the look was almost comical if Levi couldn't feel the accompanying headache coming on.

"I'm so sorry! Oh my god. I didn't see you on the other side. Oh fuck, I'm so sorry. Let me buy you breakfast as an apology." The boy was holding up his hands as if he was trying to calm a wild animal. It probably looked that way with Levi's glare.

Levi glanced at the boy's name tag on his ACUs and the rank before bending to pick up his fallen items. Luckily all his papers had been securely placed on his clipboard so none of them fell out. He straightened back up and gave the boy another look. "I'm not here to eat. Just watch where you're going next time, Private."

Levi left the boy, with the tan skin and brown hair styled in a crew cut, outside as he went into the building to do his job. He wasn't about to admit that it was partly his fault, as well. He hadn't been paying attention at all or else the incident would have been easily avoided. _Oh fucking well. Maybe the kid will learn to be more self-aware now._

* * *

Levi was exhausted and it was only noon. Dealing with idiots for even a few hours could tire him out quicker than any physical work could. The Patriot Inn's workers weren't labeling their foods properly, which was why Erwin probably got sick from the eggs. Levi made sure to firmly remind them that if they continue to do this, he would have no choice but to fail them. He was able to squeeze in Blimpie and Hickory Smokehouse before lunch, which was a relief. They had been a bit better, though there was always room for improvement.

Levi decided he was going to grab some Subway in the main Post Exchange before he headed off to Pizza Hut and grabbed the liquid nitrogen for one of the guys that did a lot of the testing at the Red Roof. He pulled into the Post Exchange's parking lot, searched for a parking spot, and began his trek to the food court side.

The step into the building was a dream come true. The cool air from the air conditioning blew down on Levi as he entered and it felt amazing compared to the blazing Louisiana heat outside. Of course, his mood didn't stay happy as he looked onto the mass of civilians and soldiers that had the same idea as him about lunch. He made his way past uniformed soldiers, moms with crying kids, and PX employees. He joined the long line for Subway, which had already gone past the drink machine and almost to the restrooms.

Levi had expected this. It was a normal for it being right after payday and especially at lunch time when everyone had money to blow on a foot long sub. He was minding his business and waiting for the line to slowly go down when someone bumped into him from behind.

"Armin, you dick! You made me bump into somebody!" Levi had already turned around when he recognized the voice, so when the boy turned to apologize he wasn't surprised by the same mortified expression from earlier this morning. "Oh god. I'm so sorry. My friend pushed me and I lost my balance. That's twice today. At least let me buy you lunch as an apology, because I couldn't do it this morning."

Levi perked an eyebrow and turned back around to face the line that was dwindling down. "Suit yourself, Jaeger."

He chose to ignore the chatter behind him. At least, he tried to but it was hard to when the boy's voice was so loud.

"So, Staff Sergeant Smith told me that we could be deploying next year. He couldn't give me specifics, but our schedule after Christmas is going to be full of weeks in the field."

"Eren, aren't you scared?"

"Well, of course, I mean I could die. I try not to think about it too much though, because that risk comes with the job. I want to serve my country and possibly dying is part of that."

The kid who was with him, that Levi could only assume was Armin, let out a long sigh. "You know Mikasa is going to try to follow you, right?"

Levi could hear the annoyance in Eren's voice as he replied, "She can't follow me unless her unit is going at the same time. She would literally have to go AWOL to do that and she wouldn't even get far. She's just going to have to deal with it."

Levi didn't know who this Mikasa chick was, but she sounded like some kind of crazy stalker girlfriend and it almost made him feel bad for the kid. _Almost. The asshole did run into me twice today and I'm lucky I don't have a massive bruise on my forehead._

When it finally got to Levi's turn he told the Subway worker exactly what he wanted. "Six inch wheat, Turkey, Provolone, not toasted."

He shuffled to the side to let the kid, _Eren is what the blondie said_, order his sub. When it was Levi's turn for the vegetables, he told them everything but lettuce, jalapenos, and onions. "Just a little mustard and that's it."

He waited for his turn to pay and he was pulling out his wallet when he got to the cash register before Eren leaned in to give the cashier his card, "Remember, I'm paying."

Levi sighed, looking away, and waited for the cashier to ring it up. Eren was invading his personal space and normally he would make a quip about it, but the boy's scent was something intoxicating and not absolutely disgusting like he had expected. It was a smell that he could only equate with the forest and it made him wonder if it was a type of cologne or deodorant that Eren was wearing. _Oh god, I'm turning into Mike. I'm going fucking insane._

As soon as Levi's sub was paid, he gave Eren a short thanks and escaped the building as fast as he could. Levi decided he would eat in his office while going over paperwork so he could avoid human contact for at least thirty minutes.

The rest of the day went as smoothly as possible. Levi got his inspections done and ran a few errands for some of the civilian workers at the Red Roof. Overall, Levi was feeling a great deal better than he had for the first half of the day. Mike let him leave on time and Levi was currently stripping out of his uniform in his room. He was going to take a nice long shower to rid himself of his own dried sweat and maybe even take a bit of a nap before Hange came to drag him out for the night.

He lined his boots up against the wall with rest of his footwear, tossed his uniform in the dirty clothes basket, and grabbed himself a clean towel. Once again he was under the pounding spray of hot water, letting it run over his body while he basked in the heavenly feeling of water and steam. He just stood there for the first few minutes, not wanting to move to begin cleaning himself, and thought about today's events.

_What was that saying in that stupid movie? Oh yeah. "If you run into someone three times in a day, it's destiny." How fucking stupid. It was a miracle on its own that I ran into that brat twice. Correction, he ran into me. What would be the odds of running into someone three times in one day? Next to fucking impossible. Man, that kid's eyes though. I have never seen heterochromia in person before. One blue, one green, like one of those huskies. He does seem like a puppy, overeager to boot. _

He shook his head to rid himself of stupid thoughts and began to clean himself off. The last thing he needed to be thinking about is some kid he's only met twice while he's in shower. In no time, he was clean, dressed, and resting on his bed. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head while he stared at the ceiling. Levi was preparing himself mentally for the disaster that was undoubtedly going to happen tonight. It was inevitable when Hange was there.

He didn't realize he had passed out until he heard a pounding at his door followed by a "Le-vi!" He groaned and slid out of his nice and cozy bed.

"Fuck you, four eyes. Go away." He opened the door to glare at the bane of his existence. Instead of being intimidated, Hange squealed and latched herself onto him, effectively pushing him a few steps back. Levi glanced over her shoulder to see her partner in crime, Erwin, chuckling at Levi's misfortune.

"Hello, Levi. I'm guessing you're joining us tonight?" The blond was smiling as if he wasn't also the cause of Levi's growing headache.

"Like I have a fucking choice, dickbag." Levi huffed as he pushed the leech off of him. "Just stand out there while I get dressed. Try to contain this maniac while you're at it."

Levi pushed a pouting Hange out of his room and firmly closed the door, making sure to lock it in the process. Levi walked over to his dresser to grab a nice pair of black jeans and some black socks. Fortunately, he had knocked out with just a tank and boxers on, so he quickly pulled on the socks and pants before heading to his closet.

Levi would never in a million years claim to know fashion and it was probably apparent with his choice of clothing. Most of his civilian clothes were dark colors, mostly black and varying shades of grey. Maybe it was because of his past as a thug before he joined the Army. Dark clothing helped hide a person better in alleys than flamboyant colors. It literally could have been a matter of life or death and so dark clothing was always Levi's preferred choice. That being said, it wouldn't be a shock to his friends when Levi showed up with a black button up and sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

_Certainly not getting too dressed up for some small ass bar in Sleazeville, Louisiana. _

Levi slipped in his gauges, labret, industrial, and tragus jewelry and made sure all of the balls were tight and secure. Levi then pulled on his black Doc Martens and grabbed his phone and keys before finally heading out the door. Hange and Erwin were leaning against the wall across the hall, chatting quietly, but straightened up as Levi came out and locked the door behind him.

"So, who's driving and who's the DD?" Levi began walking down the hallway to the stairs, knowing the two would follow him.

Hange piped up to answer his question, "Erwin is driving and the DD. We're pretty sure some of his soldiers are going to be there, so he might have to drive some of them back to their barracks if they get stupid."

Levi snorted and took the steps by two. "When are they not stupid? No offense, Erwin, but your soldiers aren't the brightest bulbs in the box."

A deep chuckle was heard behind him and no further comments were made. They reached Erwin's black 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe and climbed in. The drive to the bar was about twenty minutes, give or take, and there was already a line outside. Thankfully the heat had gone down a bit, so it wasn't absolutely miserable as they waited to get inside. After they were carded and let past the front desk, _or whatever the fuck this makeshift thing is supposed to be_, Hange immediately went to get them some drinks while Erwin and Levi claimed a table in the corner.

It was crowded. Levi's least favorite situation, because that meant unhygienic bodies against other unhygienic bodies against tables and any other surface. It made his skin crawl and he was grateful when Hange finally shoved a beer into his hand.

Hange yelled over the noise of the people and the music. "I made sure it didn't touch the counter, so you're good to go!"

Levi grunted and nodded in acknowledgement before pressing the beer bottle to his lips and taking a drink. The taste of beer is absolutely disgusting. It was his least favorite alcohol simply because it tasted like someone made it with toilet water. _Yet here I am, drinking this shit. _He took another sip and looked around at the other people drinking, chatting, and dancing. He noticed their other friends Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther getting drinks at the bar. He had to laugh as he watched Oluo bite his tongue when he was trying to order and Petra sigh as if she was completely fed up with her husband. Both of them were pharmacists in the hospital, while Eld and Gunther were in radiology. He felt sorry for them, because they were always in the same building as Hange and they never knew when she was going to pop up and talk their ears off about the human psyche.

Levi was so lost in thought that when someone stumbled into his chair, he almost didn't care to say anything. However, a voice that was becoming way too familiar today brought him back to reality.

"Fucking horseface, watch what you're doing and go somewhere else. There's Pegahoes down the street." Levi waited for Eren to turn around to apologize, because he knew it was inevitable. "Shit, sorry, dude. My friend is a dick and-"

"Jaeger, I would think that after two times today, you would have learned to be more aware of your surroundings." Levi leaned back into his chair, crossed his arms, and gave the brunette a pointed look.

Levi saw the red spreading across Eren's face as the boy became flustered. "Shit, I'm so sorry. I don't know why I keep bumping into you, it's really weird. I swear it's not on purpose."

Levi snorted and took another sip of his beer before he gave Eren a smirk. "It's fine. Stop freaking out. Just try not to make it a habit."

Levi watched as Eren mumbled another apology and hurried off to his group of friends. Erwin leaned over once the boy was gone and gave Levi a side glance. "So, how do you know Jaeger?"

Levi turned his attention from the still flustered Eren, who was arguing with some guy with two-toned hair and a long face, and gave Erwin a shrug. "He ran into me twice earlier today. This would make it the third time. You should really teach your soldiers how to be more self-aware."

Erwin's chuckle was interrupted as Hange slid into the chair next to Levi with a mischievous grin on her face. "What was that about 'third time'? You bumped into that cutie three times today? You remember what that movie said, right?"

Levi shoved her away and rolled his eyes. "You're delusional. That movie was a crock of shit. If it is destiny, I would like a refund. I'd prefer to not be randomly ran over by a complete dunce."

"Uh huh. I don't think I'm the delusional one." Hange cackled and ran away before Levi could retort. She successfully pulled Petra away from Oluo and drug her out to the dance floor with that stupid grin still on her face.

Eventually Levi was alone at the table while everyone else was out on the dance floor. Levi sipped idly at his beer as he watched Oluo make a fool of himself and drunk Hange attempt to dance. He couldn't help but notice a certain brunette who was dancing by himself. He looked absolutely lost in his own little world and Levi had to stop himself from smiling. Levi looked away and focused on everything else until his friends finally joined him again.

It was absolutely ridiculous, the notion of fate, and Levi wasn't going to think anything differently. He didn't care how much Hange tried to sprinkle some sort of hope into the whole thing. He wasn't going to get his hopes up that maybe the universe would work in his favor. That just wasn't plausible and even being as buzzed as he was it didn't make him believe it would change.

So when Hange squealed right next to his ear out of nowhere, Levi didn't think much of it. It was Hange after all and she was absolutely drunk. It wasn't until he actually paid attention to what she was squealing and pointing about that made him realize that he did have some sliver of hope. Standing in front of their table was an embarrassed brunette with mismatched eyes, who was staring at Hange as if she had two heads. He looked about ready to dart until Levi spoke up and got his attention.

"What's up, kid? Don't mind her, she's crazy and drunk."

Eren laughed nervously and scratched at the back of neck, which Levi found kind of endearing. "Oh, okay. So, um, I was wondering if you would dance with me."

Levi sat up a little straighter. "Is this some sort of dare between you and your friends?"

It was almost comical how big Eren's eyes got before he was waving his hands out in front of him. "No, no, no. Well, uh, kind of, but not because they're making fun of me or you. It's just that I wasn't sure you would want to after I've practically ran you over three times today, but they kind of coerced me into growing a set. Plus, it's not exactly normal for a guy to ask another guy to dance. I'm so sorry if I-"

Levi rolled his eyes and smirked. "Calm down, brat. I'll dance with you."

After another squeal from Hange, who almost toppled onto the floor, and a command to Erwin to watch his drink, Levi joined Eren out on the dance floor. The music was some sort of techno version of some rap song that Levi always heard on the radio. It wasn't his cup of tea, but he wasn't going to complain. Not when he had this bumbling idiot trying his hardest not to invade Levi's personal space. It made Levi want to roll his eyes for the hundredth time today before he gave up on being subtle and grabbed the boy's waist.

If he wasn't gay, Levi probably would have done it anyway, because the color of red on the kid's face was priceless. Levi pulled Eren down by his shirt, so that Levi could talk to him without having to yell over the loud music. "Calm down. You wanted to dance with me, right? So dance."

Levi watched Eren nod his head before releasing his shirt. He felt a hand on his hip and smirked as the boy moved closer so that they were almost pressed up against each other. Levi's arms had found their way to the taller male's shoulders and pretty soon both of them were swaying to the music. Levi wasn't much for dancing and normally he never danced when they went out. _But this is nice. I could get used to this foresty smell and background noise. _

After a while, it seemed like they had both gotten lost in this little world where it was just the two of them and forgot there were people around them. Of course, who else but Hange would interrupt the odd tranquility of it all. "Levi! It's time to goooooo! Kiss your lover boy and come on!"

Eren pulled away so quick, stammering in protest, that Levi had to laugh. It was literally impossible not to. Which meant that it stopped Eren's protest midsentence and the bewildered look made Levi laugh even harder.

"Oh god, your face. Your face is priceless."

Eren huffed indignantly. "Yeah, well I didn't know you were capable of laughing. Excuse me for being startled."

Levi straightened up from his laughing and flicked Eren off. "So sorry for ruining your expectations, brat. Don't worry, I won't kiss you unless you go brush your teeth. I'm sure your breath stinks."

Levi snorted as Eren got this offended look on his face. "How the hell does that make sense? Your breath smells like beer, so that would make you a hypocrite."

"Point taken." Levi once again grabbed the other's shirt and pulled him down for a quick kiss. It wasn't the best, both of their mouths tasted bitter from the alcohol, but it was enticing enough that Levi wanted more. However, he had more self-control than that, so he broke it off and let Eren go. "See you later, lover boy."

Levi made his way off of the dance floor before Eren could even recover. Hange and Erwin had already left the bar and were waiting for him outside, so Levi gulped down the last of his beer and left the bar as well. Hange was barely hanging on and Erwin was practically carrying her, so they made their way to the Tahoe as carefully as they could without getting ran over by other people leaving.

Levi didn't make it far, though. As soon as he heard his name called out from behind him, he was turned around and facing the bar, waiting for Eren to catch up. He shifted his weight to lean more on his right foot and slid his hands into his pockets as Eren walked up. "What's up?"

Eren did that endearing thing again, with the scratching and the nervous laughter, before he looked off to the side. "So, um, I was wondering if maybe I could have your number? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I just think it's pretty weird that we ran into each other three times today, you know? I mean, what's the odds of that even happening? I could understand three times in a couple of days or weeks, but three times in twenty four hours seems a bit unusual."

"Kid. Kid, you're rambling again."

Eren groaned and rubbed at his face, like he was trying to rub the embarrassment away. "Fuck, sorry. I'm just nervous."

Levi chuckled and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. He unlocked it and went straight to his contacts before he handed it to Eren. "Go ahead and put it in there. Let me see yours."

Eren blushed and Levi almost had to smack himself in the head. _Holy fuck, my choice of wording is absolute shit when I'm dealing with a hormonal male who is slightly inebriated. _"Get your head out of the gutter, Jaeger. You knew what I meant."

Eren laughed, dug out his phone, and handed it to Levi. Levi promptly entered in his phone number and name before handing it back to the boy. Eren finally gave Levi's phone back, but frowned when he looked down at his own. Levi looked at him questioningly before he finally spoke up. "Is your last name really Ackerman?"

Levi tilted his head to side slightly, wondering what Eren was getting at. "Yeah, so what?"

Eren shook his head and shrugged. "My sister's last name is Ackerman. I just didn't think it was a common last name."

Levi returned the shrug before he started backing up to leave. "Small world. I'll talk to you later, Eren. Don't blow up my phone or I'll block you. Night!"

Levi heard Eren tell him goodnight as he walked back towards the Tahoe where Erwin was patiently waiting. He climbed into the front passenger seat, because Hange was sprawled out in the back and completely passed out. It was mostly a silent ride back on post, occasionally interrupted by a groan from the back seat. Erwin and Levi had to shake Hange awake long enough for her to sit up and buckle herself in before they got to the gate. Luckily it didn't take much effort and they made it onto the base with no problem. Erwin dropped Levi off at his barracks with a quick reminder to drink plenty of water and a goodnight.

It wasn't until Levi collapsed onto his bed that he thought about the past day's events. It was almost wild to say the least and Levi couldn't help but stare at his phone with bold letters that said "Eren Jaeger" and a bunch of numbers that was the brat's phone number. He locked his phone and plugged it in to charge before laying it next to his pillow.

The last thing Levi remembered before he passed out was a set of mismatched eyes and that stupid movie about destiny.

* * *

**End Note: **

So, I hope this was okay. It's actually way longer than I'm used to writing, so I can not guarantee an almost 7k chapter each time.

I'm not particularly sure when I'll be getting chapter 2 out, simply because I've got classes, but I'm going to try my best not to make it too long of a wait.

If you have any questions, leave a review or shoot me a message to my tumblr (hanjisbitch).

Thanks for reading~


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note:**

Oh man.  
First of all, thank you to everyone who has left a review and favorited/followed this fic. It really is an incentive to continue it.  
Second, this chapter isn't as long as the first one, it's about 1k shy of it actually, but I hope that's okay. ^^

Just a warning, there is going to be some drug use and needles mention in this chapter. Just in case any of you are triggered by stuff like that.

And PCSing means Permanent Change of Station.

I hope you like this chapter.

* * *

Levi swore he didn't drink a lot last night, so he wondered why in the hell his head hurt so damn much. He should have listened to Erwin and drank some water before passing out, but all he could think of at that time was collapsing into his bed and sleeping. It might've helped if his phone wasn't ringing that stupid ringtone that was only for a four-eyed freak. The first call woke him up, he ignored it and tried to go back to sleep, but after _nine _back to back calls he decided the only way to shut her up was to answer.

"What the fuck do you want, Hange? And this better fucking be important enough to warrant ten consecutive fucking calls." Levi sat up in his bed slowly, rubbing his temples while he was at it.

"Well, good morning, grumpy butt! I'm assuming that you didn't take Erwin's advice about drinking water and are now facing a headache?"

Levi just growled in response.

"Well, drink some water, lazy butt. We're going down to Toledo Bend today. We'll come pick you up in a couple of hours. Bye!"

The call ended and Levi threw his phone down on the bed out of frustration. _How the fuck is she this chipper when she was piss ass drunk last night?_ This was typical Hange behavior, but Levi was exhausted and just wanted sleep. Knowing his friend, that would be next to impossible. Whenever Hange decided something, it would literally have to take the end of the world happening to stop her and even then it wasn't likely. So, Levi did the only logical thing and inched his way out of bed.

After standing up, he twisted at his torso in an attempt to crack his back after sleeping in an uncomfortable position for so long. A few loud cracks later, Levi determined it was the best he was going to get and headed to his bathroom for a long, hot shower. One that he desperately needed after spending most of his night surrounded by people who didn't know what proper hygiene was.

He stood under the water, his chin to his chest and his hands against the wall in front of him, as he thought about last night's events. He held back a groan as he realized that he had basically kissed a stranger. A cute one, but still a stranger. It went against all of his rules when it came to other people. Not to mention, he had given the kid his phone number, which he only gave out to his coworkers and people he was close to. He brought his hands to face and rubbed at it out of annoyance with himself.

Levi let out a long sigh and grabbed his shampoo. _Maybe the brat will forget last night and never text me. Or maybe he'll wait until I text him and forget about me when I don't. _Levi decided that he wasn't going to stress about it, because there was no point in thinking about it unless something happens. So Levi focused on his shower and spent the rest of it free of thought.

Once he was out, he went to his dresser and grabbed his black swimming trunks and a plain white t-shirt. He probably still had a hour or so before Hange and Erwin got there, so he got dressed and decided to watch some TV for the time being. Well it was more like flipping through the channels constantly, because TV shows today were absolute shit.

As he had predicted, an hour later and there was a knock at his door. He assumed it was Erwin coming to fetch him, because Hange would have beat on the door repeatedly til he opened it. So he wasn't surprised when he opened the door to reveal the tall blond. "Yo, Eyebrows. I'm guessing four-eyes is in the truck?"

It went without saying that Erwin wasn't going to comment on the nicknames, because it was an everyday occurrence. Levi turned around to lock his door while Erwin waited patiently. "Of course, she's literally bouncing in her seat. She says that she's going to get you to go out into the lake today."

Levi faced Erwin and snorted before leading the way down the stairs and to the main entrance. "Yeah right. I'm not going into water that I can't see what's in it. Lakes are fucking filthy. It's bad enough I have to take the kayak out on it to get water samples."

He pushed the front door open and held it long enough for Erwin to get through. Levi heard the blond chuckle and there was no further discussion. Levi walked with him to the Tahoe and rolled his eyes as he saw Hange waving her arm out of the front passenger window. "Levi! Come on, slow poke!"

Levi went around the side of the SUV and climbed into the seat directly behind her. He glanced back briefly to note the stock of necessary items for the trip. Hange tended to forget a lot of shit, but luckily Erwin was there to make sure they had everything. He turned his attention back to the brunette bouncing in her seat. "How the fuck are you not dead in your bed, right now? You drank so much I was surprised you didn't get alcohol poisoning."

Hange cackled and turned around with a glint in her eye. "It's called, I have a wonderful man who makes sure I drink plenty of fluids and takes care of me. You should try it some time."

Levi snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'll put that on my to-do list. Right after PCSing as far away from you as I can, shit for brains."

Hange blew a kiss at him before turning to face forward again. "Okay, let's get this show on the road!"

Erwin put the SUV in gear and they began the hour trip to the lake. Levi stayed quiet most of the way, observing the scenery as they passed by. When Levi first got to Fort Polk, he was shocked about how secluded it was and by the amount of wilderness. Being raised in a city, the fact that the base was away from any major city made Levi stir-crazy. He had to get used to not having a Starbucks on every corner or at least 3 Wal-Marts in town. Not only that, but the closest mall to the base was an hour away, forty-five minutes when he disregarded the speed limits.

As they made their way along curvy roads, most of what they passed were trees. _Trees, trees, and more big ass trees. It's neverending. _It would be just his luck to be stationed at the post that was affectionately named "The Armpit of the Army". Levi has been stuck here for three years now and he's begun to believe the rumors that it's almost impossible to get reassigned somewhere else. Levi was resigned to his fate and decided that it could have been a lot worse. He could have been stationed to some place that was just as secluded and where none of his friends were. If he didn't have them here, he probably would have ended up a sad sack of shit that just worked out and stayed in his room when he wasn't working.

Levi was drawn out of his thoughts when he noticed Erwin slowing down to prepare for the sharp and rocky turn that was just up ahead. The little side road was only meant for one vehicle at a time and it was so rocky and uneven that Levi was unsure if he would make it out of the vehicle without a mild concussion. This side road wasn't the real entrance to the lake however, it brought them directly under the bridge they had just gone over. It really only had space for maybe ten vehicles, if that. Levi noticed that other people had the same idea as them, though luckily it wasn't as crowded as he had feared it would be. The whole reason they hadn't gone to the recreational part of Toledo Bend was because it was going to be crowded and public bathrooms at a recreational park was the last thing Levi wanted to deal with on his days off.

During the summer, this part of the lake was low with a very slow current. It wasn't directly on the lake, it was more or less a branch off of it, but it was more ideal. He knew about this spot, because he would have to come out to take water samples and sometimes if he had time, he'd wander in his kayak. It was a popular spot, indicated by the litter and graffiti on the bridge, but if felt more secluded and private.

Levi slowly got out of the SUV at the same time Erwin and Hange did. He helped grab a cooler out of the back and a few towels, along with much needed sunscreen. Once everyone had what they needed, they walked the short distance to the beach part, locating a spot for them to set their stuff down that wouldn't disturb others. First thing was first, he was going to slather on this sunscreen and he wasn't going to let Hange or Erwin go anywhere without one of them covering his back for him. He wasn't about to get skin cancer or a nasty sunburn because he didn't properly apply sunscreen.

"Oi, Captain America, can you get my back for me?" Levi gestured with the sunscreen bottle and waited for Erwin to take it before he stripped off his shirt. He hissed as the cold lotion met his back, but otherwise remained still until Erwin patted his shoulder to indicate the deed was done.

"Le-vi. Are you going to go swimming or am I going to have to drag you out there?" Hange was practically bouncing up and down, anticipating the fight that Levi was inevitably going to put up. At Levi's glare, Hange stuck out her lower lip and clasped her hands in front of her in an attempt to guilt trip Levi into agreeing.

"Absolutely not, Hange. You know my deal about water. The only place I'll be stepping in is the shallow part over there, where the minnows like to hang out, because it's clear as day." With that, Levi went to do exactly that. It was probably his favorite part of coming here, because if you sit still enough the little fish will come and nibble on your skin. It was ticklish at most and watching them swim around in the clear water was relaxing in its own way.

Levi wasn't even lost in thought, it was more of that tranquil state where your mind is completely blank, when Hange's voice broke through the calm. She was cackling which was followed by a loud splash. Levi turned enough to see the commotion and rolled his eyes so hard that he was afraid that they would roll right out of his skull. Hange just broke the surface of the water, laughing as soon as she had a chance. Erwin was in the water a few feet away from her, right under the bridge, and holding a rope with a knot at the end. Levi realized exactly what was going on and decided that he was just going to go back to watching the minnows.

He didn't have the desire to watch people swing around and jump off of a rope that was attached to the underside of the bridge. He knew all too well how much risk that entailed when the water wasn't clear enough to make sure there were no logs or debris that could kill you on impact. Hange was just crazy enough to not care as long as she was having fun and Erwin couldn't honestly stop her. Levi was the only one that seemed to have a brain around here, but he wasn't going to kill the mood by being a paranoid little shit.

Instead he ran his fingers through the water around his legs, spooking the minnows a little, and attempted to catch a couple in the palm of his hand. His thoughts started to wander as he watched the little fish evade his grasp. _I wonder if Eren's texted me. No, what the fuck am I thinking? Why the fuck would I care? It's not like I would be able to find out until we get closer to post, because the service here is absolute shit._

Levi shook his head, looked up at the sky, and almost jumped out of his skin when a bottle of water was thrust in his face. Erwin stood behind him, waiting for Levi to take the offered drink, before he sat down. Levi opened the bottle slowly, wondering what Erwin was up to and why he wasn't with that maniac that could very well end up killing herself on accident. He took a sip and waited for the blond to start talking.

It didn't even take a minute before Erwin spoke up. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing." Lev's answer was short and simple. The last thing he needed was Erwin prying into his thoughts and then telling Hange, who would try to play Cupid or some stupid shit like that.

Of course, that wasn't good enough for Erwin. "Levi, how long have we been friends? Did you really think that would work?"

Levi rolled his eyes and put the cap back on his water before looking over at Erwin. "It's really fucking nothing. I'm just trying to enjoy the water and mind my own business, unlike a certain someone."

Erwin frowned at Levi's obvious hostility, as if he couldn't make it plainer that something was on his mind. However, Erwin didn't push the subject and opted for shrugging and leaving Levi to his own devices. All the sudden, Levi felt like shit for snapping at his friend. Even if _Captain America_ was prying, he wasn't doing it to be spiteful or nosy. Erwin genuinely cared about what was eating at Levi and he was just doing the only thing he could do by trying to talk to Levi about it.

Levi thought about getting up to apologize, but realized that Erwin would just take it all in stride and forgive him without a word. He was used to Levi's outbursts and sarcastic remarks by now, so even if it was frustrating at times, Levi knew that Erwin wouldn't take it personally. _No wonder, I'm fucking single. I'm shit at communication._

Levi ran a hand through his hair, not really caring that he just got it wet, and decided to go socialize with his friends. There was no point in him sitting by himself so he could let his mind get the best of him. He stood up, bidding his minnow friends goodbye, and made his way over to Hange and Erwin, who were finally sitting down and relaxing.

"Oh ho, look at who finally decided to join us! Does that mean you're going to come have some fun in the lake?" Hange gave him a lopsided grin from her position to Erwin's left.

"Shut up, shitty-glasses. There's no way in hell I'm going in there with your crazy ass." Levi rolled his eyes at Hange before plopping down to Erwin's right. The sand was warm underneath him, which felt nice after being in the cool water for so long, but it made Levi cringe. It was messy and he could only imagine the "fun" he was going to have getting it off when he got back. For the moment, though, he was going to enjoy it.

Levi leaned back, placing his hands behind him, and crossed his legs. His head lolled back, with his eyes closed, as he basked in the sun. Hange and Erwin chatted beside him, occasionally including him in the conversation, while he enjoyed the threat of skin cancer glaring down on him. As with anything dealing with Hange, his peace didn't last long.

"So, have you texted that cute boy from last night?" Hange looked over at him with a grin.

Levi slowly moved his head to look at her with one eye. "No."

Hange gave him a pout and, before Levi could even react, pushed one of his arms out from under him. Levi yelled as he fell back, his head hitting the sand, but quickly got up to lunge at the brunette. "Hange, what the fuck was that for? I'm going to fucking kill you."

Hange squealed and tried to scramble away, but Levi was faster and caught her by the legs. They ended up wrestling in the sand until Levi was on top and effectively shoving sand in Hange's bikini top. "Take that, fucker. Have fun trying to clean all of that off."

Levi got up off of the cackling Hange and took his place next to Erwin, who had just sat and watched the whole scene. Levi huffed, trying and failing to brush off the sand on his body and in his hair. He glared at Hange as she walked up and fell down on her side of Erwin. "You're so mean, Levi. Do you know how hard it is to get sand out from under your boobs?"

Levi perked a brow, "Why do you think I did it, shit for brains?"

Hange groaned in protest before rolling onto her side to look at Levi. "Are you going to text him? You did give him your number."

Levi sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to drop the subject. "I wasn't planning on it. And I was drunk, so I clearly wasn't thinking straight when I gave some brat my number."

"When are you ever thinking _straight_?" Hange laughed before giving him a pointed look, "But seriously, Levi, you can't just write off everyone you come into contact with. You're going to be single forever if you do that. Plus you did run into him three times in a twenty four hour period."

Levi leaned back into his previous position before Hange so rudely knocked him over. "I can write anyone and everyone off if I want to. I have no patience to maintain friendships outside of the ones I already have. Who says I want a relationship? Maybe I'm happy with being single forever. It means less drama and I don't have to clean up after someone else. And correction, he ran into me and that doesn't warrant any kind of special attention."

Hange sighed, giving up on trying to persuade him, and looked at Erwin. "Er-win. Why is he so difficult? You would think we're hindrances to him."

Erwin shrugged, "I don't know. That's just the way he is. Not much we can do about it really. Just leave him be and let him continue to be his miserable self."

Levi sat up and glared at both of his friends. "Oi, I'm right fucking here. Don't talk about me like I'm not right beside you."

Both of his friends chuckled and Levi threw his hands up in the air out of frustration. His friends were a bunch of dicks and he was a hundred percent through with them trying to interfere in his love life. This wasn't the first time they tried to push him into a relationship and it probably wouldn't be the last time. Levi enjoyed being alone. It meant that he only had to look after himself. He only had to clean his own mess, cook enough for just him, and he didn't have to wait to use the bathroom. Sometimes though, Levi would admit to being lonely. It got lonely when he was in his room, watching movies and eating popcorn by himself. At night when he was burying himself in his blankets, wondering how it would feel to have someone curled up in his arms or pressed behind him.

It had been awhile since he'd felt that physically closeness. It was back in his thug days, when he was running around and trying not to get killed, that he last experienced any sort of relationship. He had a boyfriend and they would run around together, selling drugs and beating people up. _You know, normal couple shit._ The guy's name was Mars. It was the name Levi knew him, anyway. No doubt it was fake, but at the time Levi didn't really care what the guy's real name was. They would sneak off and find any available place to fuck. Alleys, at night in cemeteries, motel rooms, and so on. It ended abruptly with Mars' death, though. Levi found him, after several days of no contact, in an alleyway overdosed on heroin with the needle still in his arm. That was a few days before he found out that his mother was ill and it was just another reason for him to quit the thug lifestyle and try to make his life right.

Levi sat up, trying to rid himself of thoughts of the past, and looked over at Erwin and then Hange. Erwin was still sitting up, looking out at the water, but Hange was passed out on the ground next to him. Levi snorted which drew Erwin's attention. "When did she knock out?"

Erwin looked over to Hange with a small smile before looking back at Levi. "Just a few minutes ago. I think it's time to head back. You ready to go?"

Levi wiped his hands up and down his legs, trying to get rid of the sand on his palms, and gave Erwin a nod. "Yeah, lets get out of here."

They started packing up their stuff, working around the sleeping Hange, and eventually got everything in the Tahoe. Erwin jostled Hange awake enough to get her into the SUV and buckled up. Levi climbed into his seat, buckled up, and rested his head against the cool window. He was thankful for the shade of the bridge that kept Erwin's truck relatively cool. Getting into a hot vehicle in this summer heat was a nightmare on its own. Erwin started the vehicle up and made his way precariously up the side road.

Once they were back on the road, Levi closed his eyes and listened to the soft sound of the music on the radio. In almost no time, he was sound asleep and dreaming of his past.

_Levi looked up at Mars, who was buckling his belt and looking for his shirt at the same time, and put the cigarette to his mouth. Levi inhaled and chuckled as Mars continued to look like a lost puppy. "Oi, why not just sit down and relax with me for a hour or two?"_

_Mars glanced over at Levi, his tongue flicking over his lips as his eyes trailed down Levi's body, before shaking his head in annoyance. "No, I told you, I have to do this run or boss is going to kill me. You know how it is."_

_Levi grunted and took another drag. He knew exactly how it was, which was all the more of a reason for Mars to come and relax with him. He wasn't going to push it though. Mars was coming down from a high and Levi knew how the man's anxiety got. "Yeah, okay. Well, call me later when you're done."_

_Mars finally found his shirt and shrugged it on before giving Levi a nod. "Will do. I'll see you later."_

_Levi would have told him to be careful as he walked out the door, but Levi wasn't into acting like some fucking married couple. Mars knew what he was doing and no amount of warning from Levi would keep him from doing his job. _

_Levi sat up in bed and decided it was time for him to grab a shower. The after sex stench was clinging to his body and if it was one thing he couldn't stand, it was having someone else's nasty bodily fluids on him for longer than an hour. _

The side of Levi's head hit the window and briefly woke him up. After he made sure everything was okay and that it was just a bump in the road, he fell back to sleep.

_ He hasn't seen Mars in a couple of days. Maybe the guy was finally done with Levi and moved on to something else. Levi would have been lying if he said he didn't give a shit. In the amount of time he had been with Mars, he had formed some weird, fucked up attachment to the other male. So instead of getting upset, he got mad. _

_How dare that fucker not contact him. Levi wasn't just some plaything to throw away. Levi thought Mars respected him. Well, as much respect as one could have when they're shooting up and dealing. Levi walked down the street with a heavier step than normal. He was pissed, but underneath that he was afraid. This lifestyle didn't come risk free. It wouldn't be unusual for one of them to be lying dead in a ditch somewhere. Yet Levi didn't want to think that that had happened to Mars. _

_Levi turned a corner into a familiar alleyway that he used occasionally as a back way to his boss' house and stopped in his tracks. It was dark, but light enough for Levi to see the body lying on the ground. He took a hesitant step forward, his breath caught in his throat. _

"_No. No, fuck that. No." Levi shook his head in denial, taking a step back and then another. "No. It can't be. There's no way."_

_Yet no matter how much he wanted to deny it, the face he had grown to know was staring down at the ground. The body he had learned every scar and curve of was slumped against the wall. Levi couldn't deny it any more than he could deny the painful squeeze of his heart as he looked at the corpse of his lover. _

_The pain brought him back to reality and he rushed over to Mars' body. It was like any other classic overdose scene. Mars' sleeve was rolled up and the needle was still sticking in his skin. Levi ignored it and instead pressed his fingers against Mars' neck to check for a pulse. The skin underneath his touch was cold and the lack of pulse just confirmed what Levi already knew to be true. Levi took Mars' head between his hands and pressed their foreheads together. _

"_Why, Mars? How the fuck could you be so fucking stupid? Did you even think about me, asshole?" Levi shook Mars' head out of anger before dropping it and turning away. Levi bit down on his lower lip to keep the sob from coming out of his mouth. He could taste the blood from how hard he had bit down, but he didn't care. Tears streamed down his face and he was grateful that the streets were empty, because he couldn't hold back the sobs that had been building up in his throat. He scrubbed at his face, trying desperately to stop the tears, but nothing was helping. So instead, he did what he does best and got angry. _

_Angry at Mars, at himself, at their boss, at Mars' parents, at the whole fucking world. He was mad. He was so fucking mad. He should have looked for Mars, he should have tried to get them both out of here. Mars' parents should have been there for their son before he went to live on the streets. He was pissed off at the world and how people have to lie, cheat, and steal to get anywhere in life. This capitalist society that only gives a shit about how much money you have and what you're buying. _

_Levi balled up his fist and punched the wall opposite of the one Mars was slumped against. He didn't give a shit if he broke his hand, because life was fucking unfair and at least he had some control over what he did to himself. _

_That seemed to be the theme for Levi. Life wasn't fucking fair. _

"Levi. Hey, Levi, wake up."

Levi groaned and turned his head away from the voice. He didn't want to go back to sleep and face that dream again, but he didn't want to wake up and face reality either. A gentle shake and Levi opened his eyes to look at Erwin. "Wake up, come on. We're at your barracks."

Levi brought his hand up and rubbed his eyes, trying to get the last remnants of sleep to go away. "Christ, okay. Sorry. I'm up. What time is it?"

Erwin glanced over at the clock on the dashboard. "Four o'clock."

Levi sighed and unbuckled his seatbelt. "Thanks, Erwin. I had fun. Tell shit for brains that she's fucking hopeless."

Erwin laughed and nodded his head in acknowledgement before Levi jumped out of the Tahoe. Levi closed the door and began the trek to his room, giving Erwin a final wave once he got to the main entrance.

When he was finally in his room, he had to stop himself from falling carelessly on his bed. He was still covered in sand and who knows what, so the first thing that was in order was a shower. He walked over to the closet where his towels were and grabbed one before heading to the bathroom. After getting the right temperature, Levi stepped under the water and sighed. It had been a long time since he had that particular dream. Every time he had it, he'd wake up emotionally and physically drained. He didn't know what it was about that dream that caused him to lose all of his energy. Once he woke up from it, he would usually end up getting pissed off at himself, as if he could have stopped the dream from happening and affecting him.

Whatever the reason, Levi didn't want to dwell on it at the moment. So, he focused on getting himself clean, trying his hardest to get sand out of every nook and cranny. It was a job of its own to say the least, but eventually Levi felt satisfied with his work and turned off the water. He dried himself off, threw on a shirt and shorts, and plopped down on his bed. He was half-tempted to go back to sleep, but he needed to eat dinner. So instead of enjoying his cool bed, he got up once again and threw on his tennis shoes. He grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone before he headed out the door for the second time today.

It was a short drive to where he was going. It probably took him about ten minutes to get there, because he wasn't going to go off post and fight traffic for food. Instead he found himself at Huddle House and sitting in a booth by himself. The staff usually treated him extra special, because he was the one that determined if they would remain open or not. Not that special treatment would sway Levi from doing his job correctly, but he guessed that they figured it wouldn't hurt. Either way, Levi was enjoying some biscuits and gravy with a side of eggs and bacon. Breakfast food was probably his favorite type of food and he wasn't against having it for dinner. It was good and Levi made sure to savor it. Levi glanced at his phone briefly and saw that he had no new messages. After that he put his phone in his pocket and returned to eating his food. It didn't take him long to finish it all and in no time he paid and was out the door.

He almost didn't want to go back to his barracks, but there was literally nothing else he could do, so he headed back anyway. The night was cooling down and when Levi finally got to his room, he was glad he chose to come back. He was exhausted, despite the little nap, and he just wanted to sink into his bed, watch some TV, and fall asleep.

Levi did just that, turning on some TV and lying on his back in bed. He was watching some show about some nerds and a chick named Penny when sleep drug him under. Dreams of fish and water invaded his mind, a small relief from the depressing shit from earlier. He dreamed of swimming in a lake that had water so clear a person could see the very bottom. At one point, he even turned into a merman and was conversing with the minnows and bass.

The dreams didn't last long though. Not as long he would have liked, anyway. He woke up groggy and unclear as to why his body decided he needed to wake up at all. One groan and eye rub later, Levi was sitting up in his bed looking at his phone to entertain him until he was tired again. He looked at the news, the weather forecast for the next few days, stupid cat videos on YouTube. Somehow after an hour or so, he ended up in his contacts list, staring at a name that was recently added.

_Should I? It's 10 o'clock. Maybe he's asleep. Who am I kidding? He's probably out partying again. Wait. What the fuck am I doing? Was I really considering texting some kid I don't even know? Have I really become that desperate for company? _Levi warred over what to do and why he was even entertaining the thought. He was so engrossed in his own mental battle that he didn't notice or hear the notification of a new text message. It wasn't until the reminder notification sounded that Levi came back to the real world and looked at his phone.

_Who the fuck would be texting me at this hour? I know Erwin and Hange are asleep. Mike wouldn't need anything from me until Monday. _Levi hesitated for another second before unlocking his phone again and looking at the text message notification.

_[One New Text Message from Eren Jaeger]_

"What the fuck." Levi wondered if he should look at it or just ignore it. He never expected the kid to get the balls to text him first. Hell, he didn't even expect Eren to remember him, but low and behold the kid was texting him at ten o'clock at night. _Maybe he's drunk and is just texting random people in his contact list. _

Levi put down his phone and rubbed at his face with both hands. He was making a big deal out of this more than it needed to be. He almost decided to just ignore it and try to go back to sleep, but another ding indicating he had received another text eliminated that decision. He picked up his phone and unlocked it once again.

_[Two New Text Messages from Eren Jaeger]_

Levi took in a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves which he didn't understand why he was so fucking nervous, and opened the text message thread.

_[Eren Jaeger]: Hey.  
[Eren Jaeger]: Is this Levi?_

* * *

**End Note: **

Ah, I hope this was okay.  
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to message me on here or tumblr (hanjisbitch).

As always, thank you so much for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note:**

First, I want to say I'm so sorry for the long gap between updates. I had really bad writer's block, probably rewrote this chapter at least 5 times.

Second, this chapter is shorter than the other two and for that I apologize again. It pains me to have such a large gap between updates and not update with a bigger chapter, but it was the right place for this chapter to stop.

Last but least, thank you so much for your patience and for reading this thing~

* * *

There's this phrase people say about expecting a good outcome before the situation is over. "_Don't count your chickens before they hatch." 'Cause you know, the last second could change everything. _Levi tended to use it on Hange quite a bit, because she always got excited before anything was final. He never thought he would have to tell himself this as he looked down at his phone in stunned silence.

_[Levi]: Who else would it be, brat?_

[Eren Jaeger]: Idk u could hve gave me the wrng number

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Levi couldn't take his eyes off the atrocious spelling until his phone's screen went black. _I fucking knew he was drinking. There is nothing else that could explain why he's texting like this. _Levi was just about to lay back down and go back to sleep when his phone dinged again, telling him that he had a new text. He struggled with whether he wanted to even look at the text, let alone respond to it, but eventually decided to unlock his phone once again.

_[Eren Jaeger]: Sorry about that typing, I was driving a friend to his barracks. Anyway, how was your day? Did you have a hangover?_

Levi frowned at the sudden change, because that meant he was an asshole who assumed things. _Well, I am an asshole. Nothing new there. _

_[Levi]: Don't you know that you're not supposed to use your phone while you're driving on post? You can get a ticket for that. _

_[Eren Jaeger]: Yeah, I know. My sister is a MP. You didn't answer my questions._

Levi sighed and wondered if he should continue the conversation or just try to get some sleep and ignore the text. The brat was getting a little too pushy and friendly for someone who hasn't properly talked to him.

_[Levi]: A tad nosy, aren't you?_

Levi finally laid down, deciding to rest on his side so he could continue to look at his phone without the risk of dropping it on his face. He had enough of things hitting him in the face. Levi waited to see if Eren would respond or if Levi had effectively scared him off. After a few minutes of no response, Levi figured he had officially drove the kid away. So instead of continuing to wait for a text message that was probably never coming, he closed his eyes and started to doze off.

_Ding._

"You've got to be shitting me." Levi groaned and snatched up his phone in irritation. Unlocking it _again_, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the blinding light of the screen. When he could finally see again, he looked at the notification waiting for his acknowledgement.

_[One New Text Message from Eren Jaeger]_

He should be sleeping, so he did the only logical thing and opened the message.

_[Eren Jaeger]: I thought that was the purpose of exchanging phone numbers. To, you know, get to know each other. _

Levi could practically hear the sarcasm pouring out of the screen and had to smirk. _Touché, brat, touché. _

_[Levi]: My day was fine and yes, I did have a hangover._

_[Eren Jaeger]: Well, that's good. I mean, it's good that your day was fine, not so much about the hangover. My day was pretty good, as well. In case you were wondering._

Levi snorted and had to catch himself from actually having a real smile on his face.

_[Levi]: I wasn't, but that's good. Any reason you're texting me so late at night?_

_[Eren Jaeger]: Yeah, I wanted to see if you were busy next Saturday. _

Levi tried to think of anything he had to do next Saturday, but he couldn't think of anything important. He had staff duty that Sunday, but otherwise his calendar was pretty much free. Hange and Erwin were going to New Orleans for the weekend and probably wouldn't be back until late Sunday. He had no other friends he would actively try to make plans with.

_[Levi]: Maybe, depends on why you're asking._

_[Eren Jaeger]: I was going to ask if you wanted to grab some dinner._

_[Levi]: Was? So you don't want to now?_

_[Eren Jaeger]: You know what I mean. Do you want to grab some dinner together next Saturday? Or are you too busy being a dick?_

Levi laughed and surprised himself at how loud he was. He had to hand it to Eren, the kid had some balls.

_[Levi]: Yeah, sure._

_[Eren Jaeger]: "Yeah, sure" you want to grab some dinner? Or "yeah, sure" you're too busy being a dick?_

_[Levi]: Yeah, sure, I'll go to dinner with you._

_[Eren Jaeger]: Cool. Well, I'll text you later, I guess. I've got to get some sleep, 24 hour duty tomorrow. Night._

_[Levi]: Okay, night._

He didn't know why he even agreed to go to dinner with Eren. He had no intention of pursuing a relationship and he wasn't really looking for more friends. He rationalized that it was just something to do besides be bored at the barracks on a Saturday night.

_Fuck Mondays. Fuck the Army. Fuck Eren Jaeger._

Levi sat at his desk in his office with his head resting on the cool surface. He was tired. Scratch that, he was _exhausted. _He wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball on the floor and sleep, but the floor was disgusting so that option went out the door along with his patience. Instead, he groaned and turned his head to the other side to look at the stack of papers he needed to go through. It didn't improve his mood at all and he almost started crying when he heard a knock on the door. Knocking on his door only meant one thing. _More work. _

Levi sat up and composed himself before calling out, "Come in!"

Mike opened the door, looked at Levi's desk full of paperwork, and gave him an apologetic smile. "Hey, sorry to add on, but they need some water buffalos cleared."

Levi rubbed at his face before grabbing the sticky note Mike was holding out with the address he needed to go to. Mike left after another "sorry" and Levi put on his ACU jacket before heading out. As he was getting into his car, his text message notification went off. Levi didn't pull his phone out until he was buckled in and the car was on.

_[One New Text Message from Eren Jaeger]_

_[Eren Jaeger]: Hey, how's your day so far? Did you get enough sleep?_

Levi closed his eyes in annoyance before texting Eren back.

_[Levi]: So far it's shit. And no, I didn't. Because some asshole kept me up all night with his texting._

Levi put his car into gear and made his way to the destination given to him. His phone went off again, but he ignored it and focused on the road. Eren texted him on and off all day yesterday, making small talk and generally being an annoyance. Levi almost wanted to cancel their plans, but occasionally Eren would text him something stupid and Levi would catch himself laughing out loud. It was a nice change of pace, because Levi usually didn't have text message conversations. The only people to really contact him were Hange and Erwin and they normally just called. Levi concluded that he preferred texting, because he didn't have to respond right away. It was nice to be able to take a break from the conversation if he needed to.

Levi finally got to his destination and parked his car in one of the makeshift parking spots. He grabbed his clipboard and PC before getting out and walking towards the fenced in lot. Once he was there, he approached a Sergeant that was standing close to the entrance.

"Good morning, Sergeant. I'm here to inspect some buffalos."

The Sergeant was a bit of a stockier guy and definitely taller than Levi by quite a bit. When he turned around, Levi could see the slight hint of surprise, no doubt Levi's height caught him off guard.

"Yeah, I'll show you the way."

A tan water tank on wheels was about the simplest description Levi could give someone on what a water buffalo looked like. Otherwise, he would just google an image of it and show them. Levi walked up to one of the tanks and began his inspection. He grabbed his flashlight out of his pocket and climbed up to look inside the tank, the heat of the sun was pounding down on his back and almost unbearable. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. He peered into the opening on the top, looking around to make sure the tank was clean and void of rust. The only way a small amount of rust would be allowed is if it didn't present a health hazard after the water is tested or if there were no complaints about the taste.

Once all of the water buffalos were cleared, Levi went back to his car to finish filling out the rest of his paper work and strip out of his ACU jacket. The heat was unbearable today and he would do anything to just go back to his barracks, strip, and collapse on his bed.

A notification sound startled him out of his daydreams about cool sheets against his skin and reminded him that he had received a couple of text messages during his inspection. He rolled his eyes and leaned to the side so he could retrieve his phone out of his pocket.

_[Four New Text Messages]_

Levi opened the first one that was from Mike.

_[Mike]: Hey, when you're done with the inspection, can you get the liquid nitrogen refilled? Thanks._

Levi typed a quick affirmative and went to the next text message.

_[Eren Jaeger]: You could have just ignored my texts. _

_[Eren Jaeger]: Just admit it, you like talking to me._

_[Eren Jaeger]: Anyway, I'm sorry your day isn't going well. If you want I'll leave you alone tonight so you can get some sleep._

Levi sighed and leaned forward so that his forehead was resting on the steering wheel. It wasn't that he hated talking to Eren, it was just that he didn't have the ability to stay up until one in the morning carrying a conversation.

_[Levi]: I don't mind you texting me, it's just that I can't stay up until ungodly hours entertaining your ass._

_[Eren Jaeger]: My bad, I forgot you were an old man. Lol._

_[Levi]: Haha, very funny, dick. Anyway, I might not be able to respond until later. Too much stuff going on at work. _

_[Eren Jaeger]: Okay, I'll ttyl._

Levi buckled himself in and put his car in gear so he could make his way to the hospital. _I need to refill the liquid nitrogen can and then get back to the office to finish all of that paperwork. I've got to turn this inspection form in too. Here's to hoping that the rest of the day goes smoothly._

* * *

Levi collapsed on his bed face first just like he had been daydreaming about earlier in the day. He was still in uniform and hadn't even bothered taking off his boots yet. He just wanted to cease existing for maybe five minutes. _Boots be damned. Today has been nothing but headache after headache._

His phone went off and he groaned in defeat. Of course, it'd be too much for him to ask for ten minutes of silence. He shifted so he could get to his phone that was still in his pocket and swiped his thumb across the screen to answer the call.

"What?"

Erwin's chuckle came through the speaker, "Hard day?"

Levi sighed and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling, "Absolute shit. What can I do for you, Erwin?"

Erwin chuckled again before he replied, "A certain soldier of mine has been annoyingly happy today and constantly smiling at his phone. You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

Levi closed his eyes, placing a hand over them, "How the fuck would I know?"

"Oh, I don't know. I just have this feeling that it pertains to you."

He rubbed his hand down his face at that and struggled not to groan where Erwin could hear it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Levi could practically hear Erwin's smile through the phone. "If you say so, Levi. Anyway, Hange may or may not swing by tonight. I have staff duty and she said something about watching a new show. Just thought to give you a heads up."

There was no may or may not when it came to Hange. He knew she would be coming, because being alone wasn't her forte. Levi rolled his eyes before responding, "Yeah, thanks for the heads up. Anyway, I'm going to go shower and try to relax a little. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Later, Levi."

Levi threw his phone to the side and let out a long sigh. Today just seemed to drag on and the fact that it was only Monday made Levi want to go to the nearest cliff and jump off. Instead he decided to take a quick shower and relax before Hange came pounding on his door.

His shower was probably one of his quickest ones in a while. It was just another indicator of how absolutely exhausted he was. He was already laying back down in his bed and closing his eyes when his phone went off with a text notification. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling in disbelief. "Really? Are you serious right now?"

Levi moved just enough to grab his phone and unlocked it.

_[One New Text Message from Eren Jaeger]_

_[Eren Jaeger]: Hey, how are you feeling? I know your day was pretty busy. _

_[Levi]: I'm fucking exhausted. _

_[Eren Jaeger]: That sucks. Sleep?_

_[Levi]: Can't. A friend is coming over soon._

_[Eren Jaeger]: Tell them that you're too tired?_

Levi snorted at that, if only Eren knew exactly how Hange was.

_[Levi]: It wouldn't work, unfortunately._

_[Eren Jaeger]: What kind of friend would show up after you told them you're exhausted?_

_[Levi]: The kind that is absolutely insane and would pester you until you either caved or jumped off a cliff. _

_[Eren Jaeger]: Intense._

_[Levi]: Tell me about it._

A loud knock on his door startled him out of the conversation and made him realize he was smiling like a dumbass. Luckily Hange was waiting for him to let her in or else he would have to explain why he was smiling at his phone. That was one conversation he wanted to avoid having with her at all costs.

"Coming!"

Rolling out of bed, Levi strode over to the door and opened it enough to let Hange in. As soon as she stepped into the room, Levi was engulfed in a tight embrace. "Oi, four eyes, let me go. You're suffocating me."

Hange cackled and let Levi go. "So sorry, thank you for having me over."

Levi rubbed at his left arm before walking back over to his bed and sitting down. "It's not like I had a choice. I didn't even really get a heads up. You do know it's a weekday, right? I can't be staying up until god knows when."

Hange plopped down beside him and smiled, "Yes, yes. I know. Erwin told me to not overstay my welcome."

Levi would properly thank Erwin later, because the only one to sort of rein Hange in was him. He turned on his TV and promptly handed Hange the remote so that she could put on whatever show it was that she wanted to watch.

"What show are we watching?"

Hange grinned as she went to On Demand and looked for it, "Dominion."

Levi sighed and leaned back against the headboard of his bed. "What is it about?"

Hange looked over at him with a gleam in her eyes that honestly scared the shit out of Levi. "Good and bad angels."

"Could you be anymore cryptic? What's the setting? The plot?"

Hange shrugged and turned back to look at the TV. "I don't know, we'll just have to see. Aha!"

Hange selected the show and pressed play for the first episode before stretching out opposite of Levi with her feet in his lap. If it was any other person, Levi probably would've kicked them out by now, but Levi was so used to Hange's presence and lack of decorum that it didn't even phase him.

As they waited for the episode to start, _for some reason it takes a good minute_, Levi checked his phone. He must've not heard the text notification while he was letting Hange in, because Eren had texted him.

_[Eren Jaeger]: Did your friend show up?_

_[Levi]: Yeah, we're waiting for this show to start. _

_[Eren Jaeger]: Oh cool, what show?_

The show began to play and Levi shot Eren a quick answer before setting his phone down next to him. They stayed in companionable silence as they watched the show, occasionally throwing back and forth theories of what was going to happen. Hange was pretty good at guessing and was usually right eighty percent of the time. When the episode finally finished, Levi stretched out as much as he could and had to suppress a yawn.

Hange did the same thing before looking over at Levi. "So, how'd you like it?"

Levi shrugged and crossed his arms. "It's okay so far, I'd like to see how it plays out though. Is there only one episode right now?"

Hange sat up and nodded her head. "Yep. It's supposed to come on every Thursday. I didn't get a chance to watch it until now though."

Levi hummed in acknowledgement before checking his phone for texts, something he has been doing increasingly for the past forty-eight hours.

_[Four New Text Messages from Eren Jaeger]_

_[Eren Jaeger]: Oh I heard that was pretty good._

_[Eren Jaeger]: Didn't it just come out though?_

_[Eren Jaeger]: Let me know how it is when you're done._

_[Eren Jaeger]: Don't stay up too late, btw. You should get some sleep._

Levi snorted at the last text message and decided to reply back.

_[Levi]: What are you, my mother? Anyway, it was decent. There's only one episode so far._

He had completely forgotten that Hange was there until she cleared her throat and startled the shit out of him. "So, who is making you smile with just a text message? It couldn't be that cute boy from Paradise, could it?"

Levi hadn't even realized he was smiling and silently cursed himself for getting so distracted by Eren Jaeger. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Hange cackled and jumped off the bed to spin around in glee. "Just wait until I tell Erwin! He predicted this would happen."

Levi stood up quickly and grabbed one of Hange's arms to make her face him. "Don't you dare tell Erwin. It's absolutely nothing and it's going to remain that way. I don't need him trying to give the boy false hope."

Hange frowned as she realized how serious he was about the whole thing. Levi sat down on the edge of his bed, resting his elbows on his knees so that his head was supported by his hands. He raised an eyebrow as Hange sat down on the floor directly in front of him. "Hey, you know that you can't keep doing this, Levi. You need to be happy."

Levi sat up and ran a hand over his hair in frustration. "Who says I'm not happy? Why do people think that in order to be happy, you have to be in a relationship?"

Hange crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look. It was a look she gave him quite often. One of those looks that says she knows he's avoiding the underlying issue. Of course, she's not going to leave it to just a look. Hange was never one to be sparse with words. "Levi, you know exactly what I mean. Humans crave affection, be it from friends, family, or significant others. You haven't dated anyone since he died. You've got to let it go. It's not healthy. No matter how much you say you're happy right now, I can tell that it's not anywhere near the degree that you could be if you would just take that chance and date. I haven't seen you smile like you just did since high school."

Levi turned his head away before he responded. Something in the gesture made him feel like, even though he knew she would know, this lie he's been telling himself for years was somewhat believable. "I have you and Erwin. I don't need anyone else. I don't have the energy to deal with someone else's drama. And for the record, I know he's dead. I've gotten over that fact a long time ago."

"Levi, you said his name in your sleep when we were coming back from Toledo."

Levi whipped his head around to stare at her as if she had grown fangs and a tail. "What? How the fuck would you know that? You were sound asleep the whole time."

Hange leaned back, using her arms to support herself. "Erwin told me when we got back to the apartment. That's not the point, though. You're still dreaming about him. You're not entertaining the thought of an actual relationship. Yeah, you have me and Erwin, but we're not always going to be here. We might have to PCS some day and then what are you going to do? Go to work, exercise, come here and sleep?"

Levi threw out his arm in frustration, his voice rising slightly. "I had a dream about him, so fucking what? I'm not entertaining the thought of an actual relationship, because I don't fucking feel like it. And so what if all I do is work, sleep, and exercise? Is that a sin? I don't fucking need anyone to survive. I'm fine on my own."

Hange matched his frustration with her own, her voice mimicking his in volume. "That's just it, Levi. You don't need anyone to survive, but you shouldn't be lonely just because you're only relationship was fucked up. You're hindering any chance of you possibly finding someone who wants to put up with your ass, someone who actually wants to care about you and spend all of their time with you. You're keeping yourself from experiencing the feeling of being so important to someone that it leaves goosebumps on your skin. You deserve to be happy, Levi, no matter how much you want to deny it."

Levi rubbed at his face before crossing his arms. He was still avoiding Hange's gaze, because he knew that in a sense, she was right. "I'm fine on my own, Hange. Just leave it be."

Hange let out a sigh and Levi finally looked at her as she was beginning to stand up. "Fine, Levi. I just wish you'd give the poor boy a chance or at least let him know what's up, so that he isn't expecting something from you."

Levi stood up as well, so that he could walk her out. "Yeah, I'll let him know."

They both walked to the door, Hange hesitating for a second like she wanted to say something else, but she just shook her head and stepped out of the room. "Goodnight, Levi. Thanks for watching the show with me. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, drive safe."

Levi watched her walk down the hallway and disappear down the stairs before he went back into his room and shut the door. He groaned and sagged against the door, his night effectively ruined by the conversation that just took place. He knew Hange was just trying to be a good friend, but it wasn't going to change his mind on the subject. He wasn't going to go through the possibility of having a relationship where the person might die again, which was highly possible when most of the candidates were soldiers. _Anyway, I'm fine on my own. _

Levi walked back to his bed and sat down, snatching up his phone in the process. He had received a couple of texts during the conversation with Hange, no doubt they were from Eren.

_[Two New Text Messages from Eren Jaeger]_

_[Eren Jaeger]: Ha ha. Sorry for showing concern, ass. Anyway, that's cool. I'll probably have to check it out sometime. _

_[Eren Jaeger]: So you going to bed now? I'm assuming your friend is gone, because you texted me back._

Levi caught himself smiling again and then shook his head once he realized it, as if the gesture would rid himself of any unnecessary emotions.

_[Levi]: They're gone now, yeah. And I'm not really tired, so I don't know. _

Levi laid down, getting himself comfortable before Eren replied again.

_[Eren Jaeger]: Well, if you want, I can keep texting you and keep you company until you fall asleep?_

Levi hesitated for a second, not sure why he felt so unsure of himself all of the sudden. It was one thing for someone to talk to him without him saying to, but it was a whole different thing when he was the one saying he actually wanted to have a conversation. The fact that he was even entertaining the thought was throwing him off. This was so out of character for him, but the thought of actually talking to someone, albeit in text form, until he fell asleep was nice. _This is all Hange's fault._

_[Levi]: Yeah, sure._

* * *

**End Note: **So, I hope this chapter wasn't too boring.

If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll try to message you or you can straight message me, or you can message me on my tumblr (hanjisbitch).

As always, thank you for reading. 3


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